DiplomatAll You Need to Know About China's New Stealth Destroyer
Addressing misconceptions about China’s latest surface combatant, the Type 055 guided-missile destroyer.By Rick Joe
June 08, 2018
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The Type 055 adopts a conventional flared hull with distinctive stealthy features including an enclosed bow, where mooring points, anchor chains and other equipment are hidden belowdecks. The bow armament adopts a similar configuration to the 052C/D, with the main gun located most anterior, followed by a 64 cell block of VLS, and the eleven barrel H/PJ-11 30mm close in weapons system (CIWS).
The main deckhouse is similar to the proven configuration that the preceding 052D adopts, with fixed four face phased array radars (PARs) arranged for overlapping 360 degree coverage. However, the mast atop the deckhouse is a more advanced integrated mast, with sensors and datalinks integrated into a single structure.
Similarly, the amidships area and the smoke stack is a continuous single structure extending from the main deckhouse. A continuous integrated structure not only provides additional volume for various uses (such as amidships RHIB davits), but also reduces deck clutter and the ship’s associated radar cross section. The single integrated smoke stack is notable, as it appears to shield the exhausts from the ship’s gas turbines to a greater degree, likely to reduce infrared signatures and radar cross section.
Moving posteriorly, there is a 48 cell block of VLS, leading to the aft helicopter hangar structure featuring two helicopter hangars. A step structure atop this hangar was once suspected to possibly accommodate a volume search radar, but instead will likely be equipped with a small dome or other electronics. A 24 cell HHQ-10 missile CIWS and four decoy turrets are equipped atop the hangar. A large stern helipad, greater in size than that on the 052C/D destroyers, accommodates the ship’s organic helicopter complement.
There have been some reports that the Type 055 may involve aluminium in its construction, however at this stage there are no credible indicators for this suggestion.
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Total production run
A total of six Type 055s have been visually identified up to this point. Two Type 055s have been launched and are being fitting out at Jiangnan (the first likely to start sea trials later this year), with modules for another Type 055 identified at Jiangnan as well. Two Type055s in late stages of assembly at Dalian will likely be launched later this year, and modules for another Type 055 have been identified at Dalian.
Credible rumors over the years have put the first batch of 055s at greater than 8 ships, so in the foreseeable future it is likely that we will see additional 055 modules at both Jiangnan and Dalian.
We have no indications for the total number of Type 055s the Chinese Navy may seek, but some rumors have suggested the South Sea Fleet’s 9th Destroyer Flotilla may receive the first four Type 055s, followed by the North Sea Fleet’s 1st Destroyer Flotilla. Based on this pattern, it may suggest that the Navy either intends to equip one Destroyer Flotilla of each of their three fleets with four Type 055s, which would indicate a 12 strong Type 055 fleet. However, the Navy may also intend each of the Navy’s six Destroyer Flotillas to be equipped with four Type 055s, which would indicate a 24 strong Type 055 fleet.